This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Businesses and individuals use computing devices, such as servers, in a wide range of applications. Use of these devices has become increasingly common and each generation of computing devices is seemingly more advanced than the previous generation. However, this technological advance is generally accompanied by a corresponding increase in the complexity of these devices. As the number of circuits or components of a device increase, so do the chances that one of these circuits or components will fail, which may ultimately affect operation of the device. Accordingly, many electronic devices are now manufactured in such a manner as to facilitate user removal or installation of various components of an electronic device. This allows a user to not only replace a malfunctioning component of a device, but also allows such a user to customize a device to achieve a desired configuration.
To facilitate ease of removal and installation, a component of a computing server or other electronic device may be enclosed within a cartridge or module. Such an arrangement provides protection for the individual parts of the modular component, while increasing the ease with which the component may be handled. To accommodate these modules, servers may contain cardcages adapted to receive and secure the modules. These cardcages are generally designed with slots that receive modules of a fixed height between the upper and lower portions of the cardcage. While this arrangement may allow certain modules of equal height to be inserted and removed from the cardcage, such cardcages are not designed to accept modules of varying height. As will be appreciated, some components may be less complex than others and, thus, do not necessarily require an enclosure having the same volume as a more complex device. Further, some modules may require a greater number of lanes to communicate with, and operate in, a given server than do other modules. Thus, there is a need for a modular cardcage system that allows utilization of modules of varying heights.